A World Where the Strong Rule

When they saw her, both mother and daughter had complicated expressions in their eyes.

There was envy, jealousy, and even hatred—all mixed together.

And a hint of... fear.

That fear, perhaps, came from awe of the Celestial Five-Element Spirit Root.

Or maybe they were afraid she’d take revenge.

After all, for as long as she could remember, Queenie Zhu had bullied her day in and day out, delighting in the thrill of picking on the weak.

Grace walked over and called out, "Aunt Leah."

"Grace, I can’t believe you finally awakened your spirit root at your age! What wonderful news!" Aunt Leah’s smile was stiff.

"I’m really sorry I couldn’t help Queenie in the palace today," Grace said. "But it wasn’t on purpose."

"Yes, yes, I know!" Aunt Leah said awkwardly. "We were wrong to blame you!"

"I'll be going now," Grace said coolly, nodding as she walked past them.

Queenie Zhu stood off to the side, silent and afraid to make a sound.

This is a world where only the strong are respected.

Inside the ancestral hall were Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu, Minister Zhuo, Lena, Grace Wan, and all the elders of the Zhu Clan.

In the center stood an Elemental Crystal.

Grace was asked to test her spirit root again.

Mainly, the clan elders hadn’t seen it with their own eyes and couldn’t believe it.

"Grace, try again so your mother and the elders can see for themselves." Minister Zhuo looked especially proud today, positively beaming.

Obediently, Grace placed her hand on the Elemental Crystal, which immediately lit up with the dazzling brilliance unique to the Five Element Spirit Root.

The elders’ reactions were exactly the same as those in the palace.

First, they wondered if the Elemental Crystal was broken.

Then they switched to a new Elemental Crystal—same result.

Only then did they finally believe it: the so-called "useless" Grace was actually gifted with the Five Element Spirit Root.

For a moment, every kind of expression flashed across their faces.

Some were happy, some were moved, some were shocked, and some were downright jealous.

But overall, everyone agreed this was a huge cause for celebration.

Even the mighty Vermilion Kingdom would take notice of the appearance of a Five Element Spirit Root.

It was as if they could already see the Zhu Clan’s future shining even brighter than before.

......

Ever since seeing the dazzling light inside the Elemental Crystal, Lena’s tears just wouldn’t stop.

Grace gently wiped away Lena’s tears and said, "Mom, don’t cry! I finally have a spirit root. You should be smiling!"

Lena hugged her tight, sobbing even harder...

......

Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu’s gaze at Grace was especially complicated.

She truly never imagined that the granddaughter she’d looked down on for more than a decade could transform overnight from a nobody to an absolute genius.

For a moment, she didn’t even know how to face her.

Grace noticed and walked over, calling softly, "Grandmother."

Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu managed a slightly awkward smile. "Grace, I truly never expected you to be so gifted."

"Even I didn’t expect it!" Grace said. "Before, I always felt inferior because I didn’t have a spirit root. I did a lot of things that made you angry, Grandmother. I hope you won’t hold it against me."

Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu’s sharp eyes could usually tell if someone was being sincere or not.

And this time, Grace’s words came straight from the heart.

She sighed, took Grace’s hand, and said, "I’ve made mistakes too. Just don’t hold a grudge against your grandmother."

"How could I? To me, you’ve always been the wisest elder," Grace replied.

The wisest elder...

But not the closest grandmother.